The set of numbers that a number system is based on is called

The set of numbers that a number system is based on is called

• A. Digit
• B. Base
• C. Symbol
• D. Exponent

Answer: (B)

The set of numbers a number system is based on is called its base. The base defines how many digits you have and how place values are calculated. In a positional system, each position represents a power of the base. For decimal, the base is ten, so digits range from 0 to 9 and each position is a power of 10, as in 345 = 3×10^2 + 4×10^1 + 5×10^0. If the base were two, you’d use only the digits 0 and 1 with place values that are powers of two. A digit is a single symbol like 0 or 1, which is part of the system but does not name the system itself. A symbol is any character used in writing numbers, and an exponent is the power to which the base is raised in a term.

The set of numbers a number system is based on is called its base. The base defines how many digits you have and how place values are calculated. In a positional system, each position represents a power of the base. For decimal, the base is ten, so digits range from 0 to 9 and each position is a power of 10, as in 345 = 3×10^2 + 4×10^1 + 5×10^0. If the base were two, you’d use only the digits 0 and 1 with place values that are powers of two. A digit is a single symbol like 0 or 1, which is part of the system but does not name the system itself. A symbol is any character used in writing numbers, and an exponent is the power to which the base is raised in a term.